SCOLOPACID.K — TllH .SNU'E FAMILY — GALLIXAGO. 



187 



different parts of the country, «ucli as •• .Mii(l-Sni[ie," •• IJlind Sniiu'," " IJi^'-hcaded 

 Snipe," anil " Marsli-l'lover." Its weight is never nuirc than nine and a hall' ounces, 

 usually not more than seven, and very rarely as much as i-iglit. The i'enuile is the 

 larger bird. The usual weight oi tlie iMiropcan "Woodcock is lourteen ouiu'es. 



T'he egg of the Woodcock is of a rounded oval shape, oiu' end being more tai)ering 

 than the other; it measures l..")() inches in length liy 1.11 in breadth. The grouiul is 

 a light buffy eream-color, marketl over the entire surface with line dottings and 

 i»lotches of sepia-brown, internunglcd with shadings of a neutral tint and brown, 

 washed with the buff of the grounil, causing these spots to assumo an opaque ashy 

 hue. 



Gkxus GALLINAGO, LicAcii. 



Oallinago, " Lkacii, Ciital. liritisli liinls, 1810," (li;.\v (type Soilniuix mrtjnr, L.). 



CiiAK. Lower jxirtioii nf tlie lil)i:i havu nf fuiitlicrs, siiUcUiUc bcfiiri! luid Ijeliiud, rcticulati'tl 

 liilcruliy liko the tarsi. Xiiil of liiiul tnu .slciidi'i', uxtcudiiig licyoiid the toe. Jiill dejiressed at 

 the tip. Middle toe longer tliaii tarsus. Tail with twelve to twenty-six feathers, l^lmniige the 

 same in winter and s\niiiner ; young like tlic adult in colors and markings. The more slender 

 lioily, longer legs, jiarily naked lil>ia, and other features, cliatinguish this geiuis from Hculcpux and 

 Philohda, and the cleft toes from Macrorhamphua. 



The species of (Inllinaiji) are ([uite numerous, about liftoen being recognized, this number 

 nearly c(pially divided between America and various jiortions of tlie Old World. Of the seven 

 American species, North America claims but two, tli(! connnon Wilson's Snipe, or, as it is pcrliaps 

 more popularly known, the " Englisli Snipe," from its very close resendijance to llie Connnon 

 Snii)e of Europe, and the latter .species, whicJi has lieen taken in Greenland. With ii few e.\- 



G. Wilsoni. 



ception.s, the various species resemble one another very closely in colors and markings — so much 

 »n in some cases, that it is necessary to resort to tlie rectrices in order to discover points of positive 

 dilference. 



The single species pe<'uliar to Xorth America has usually sixteen rectrices, of wiiich the outer 

 is not notably narrower than the rest ; its nearest relative, the European Q. cnkntin, has usually 

 but fourteen tail-feathers, of winch the outer pair are <linerontly marked from those of G. Wilsoni; 

 the several South American sjiecies possess fif)ni foiuleen to eighteen rectrices, of which the outer 

 pair are very narrow. The two North .\nierican species may be distinguislied as follows : — ■ 



Com. Char. Tail with a sub-terminal band of rufous, succeeded hy a black bar. Pileum black, 

 dividetl longitudinally by a line of pale buff. Dorsal feathers Idack, broadly edged exteriorly 



